Season 2 – Issue 6

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IWSC is hiring!

Needed: Admins and Headmistresses for Season 3.

About You: Enthusiastic, motivated and willing to have fun. Candidates must have completed one season of the IWSC, and be willing to share all snacks with fellow Heads

About Us: Fun, supportive and passionate about creating a high quality competition for our students

About the Role:
– Admin: As an Admin you will support the Headmistresses to run the competition, including, but not limited to, round design, theme allocation, WWN articles, liaising with Judges, and supporting students.
– Headmistress: As a Headmistress (or Headmaster) you will lead a school through the competition. This may include, but not be limited to, guiding students through the rules, encouraging students, conflict resolution, judge support, round design, WWN and more.

If one of these roles sound like the one for you, email the IWSC email account with an expression of interest. An application form will be provided following your expression of interest.

announcement

I am very sorry to say that this will be our last issue of the WWN for the time being. It’s not something that we are getting rid off, and we have cancelled the paper with a heavy heart! It took a lot of thought and the realisation that with all the stress going on in the world, and how it impacts our real lives, there just isn’t a way for us to get the WWN and remain stress free, emotionally healthy people.

We hope you understand and we will try to get the WWN back up and running as soon as possible.

HANDY HINTS TO GET YOU POINTS

Welcome to Handy Hints. Today we will be looking at some of the most common ways students at the IWSC lose points from the flow section. Flow is all about readability and structure, so it’s a very important aspect of your writing. 

Our judges pointed out issues with paragraph structure, paragraphs in relation to dialogue and knowing when a new paragraph should begin. These errors can affect your flow in that specific paragraph but also the flow of the whole story.

Structure of a Paragraph

1. Topic Sentence – This is the sentence that defines what your paragraph is about. This is usually the first sentence/s.
2. Explanatory sentences – This is the meat of your paragraph. It explains and gives further detail and information on the topic.
3. Concluding sentence – This will summarise your points and bring the paragraph to a close.
4. Transitional sentence – This sentence will help to lead you into the next paragraph, ensuring that each paragraph flows into the next.

This structure will help you to know how much to include and when to end a paragraph. It can also help you to add more detail to the topic, as hitting ‘explanatory sentences’ will help you do this. These are not the only things to consider. When you have finished your chapter, reread it and consider the following:

1. Unity – Your paragraph should be unified. Anything that deviates from this single topic or takes away from this topic should be removed from the paragraph.
2. Order – Look at the organisation of your paragraph. Overall, the order should be logical, even if you choose not to sort it by importance or chronology. Think about the reader easily following your ideas.
3. Coherence – Is your paragraph understandable as a whole? Ensure that sentences flow to help the paragraph work overall. Look at the wording and your transition into the next paragraph. Consider your consistency of verb tense and point of view also.
4. Completeness – Will your reader get the point this paragraph is making? Do all sentences support the main idea? Is the main idea clear? If you don’t have enough to prove your point or show what you are saying, the paragraph is incomplete.

Example:

Red = Topic

Blue = Explanitory

Green = Conclusive

Purple = Transitional

Her words swam in his head for days. ‘Earn Me.’ It would never be enough. All the gold in the Malfoys’ Gringotts vault would never be enough. Every single star in the sky was inconsequential, insignificant, when it was compared to her. He felt hopeless. Earning Lily Evans was an impossible task. Severus Snape, however, was determined to try.

Paragraphs and Dialogue

When writing dialogue there are a number of things that can impact your flow. These are:

1. over-use and under-use of dialogue tags
2. over-use of “exciting” tags
3. paragraphs in dialogue

When considering dialogue it’s always best to make the that the hero. The words are coming directly from your character, so tags, punctuation and paragraphs should be able making this speech stand out from the narrative surrounding it.

Dialogue Tags

If you don’t use these your reader can end up confused and not be able to follow who is talking. If you use too many then the dialogue tags, which should be almost invisible to the reader, will become more noticable. When using dialogue tags consider the following rules:

1. Use tags only when you have to tell the reader who is speaking
2. Use ‘said’ ‘asked’ ‘replied’ as much as possible, and use the dialogue and punctuation to show how something has said
3. Only use one tag per piece of dialogue

Paragraphs

Paragraphs of dialogue have also caused a few students to lose points in the flow section. The above paragraph rules can apply to dialogue paragraphs, but there are other things to consider as well.

1. Always start a new paragraph for a new speaker
2. Dialogue for the same character should be in one paragraph.
3. Only split dialogue (of one character) into multiple paragraphs when
   1. There is more than one sentence of narrative between the same characters dialogue
   2. The dialogue continues for more than one paragraph
4. There should be no closing quotation marks on dialogue that is spread over more than one paragraph

Repetitiveness

When a writer constantly repeats themselves, a story will become monotonous, no matter how exciting a plot is. As a reader, we feel like we have ‘read this before’ and it will often stick out like a sore thumb. There are many ways that repeat ourselves:

1. Common words within a sentence/paragraph
2. Uncommon words within a one-shot or chapter
3. Ideas, phrases, and sentence repetition

Ideas, Phrases, and Sentences

Repetition can be a tool. It draws a reader’s attention to an idea, thought, word or sentence. This can help with underlining something that’s significant to your plot. If something isn’t important, it will only slow the story down. Try rereading your story and paying attention to any repetition that you use, does this add or take away from the plot? Does it slow the story down? Consider very carefully when using repetition as a tool.

Repeating Common Words

Common words that appear frequently in a story isn’t usually an issue. Many of these words are almost invisible because of how often they are used. It doesn’t always draw attention, however, it’s very possible to overuse them.

When a common word is repeated within a sentence or even frequently in a paragraph, it starts to stand out. This can cause a reader to feel a sense of déjà vu when reading. Sometimes I can find myself rereading portions of the story to make sure I haven’t missed something and understand what’s going on.

To rectify this, you can look for synonyms that say the same thing, but in a fresh way. You should always consider the tone of the word you will use instead. Choosing an overly sophisticated word that doesn’t fit the overall sound of the story can also impact the flow. You can also reword the sentence or paragraph to remove the repetition completely, but you should do what is best for the sentence, paragraph, and story as a whole. 

Repeating Uncommon Words

Words that are not commonplace stand out far more, and so they should be used sparingly. The reader is far more likely to notice this repetition. Even using a rare word a few times in a story can really stand out, and you should consider if this adds to the story or takes away from the flow of your story. 

Other Common Flow Deductions

1. Dialogue Tags 
   1. Overly sophisticated tags — remember ‘said is not dead’
   2. Overuse and underuse of tags
   3. More than one tag for one section of dialogue
2. A balance between Action, Dialogue, and Description
3. Transitions
4. Misuse of words
5. Over-complicated sentences

Word Prompts

This round we will be looking at using word prompts. Our prompt guidance states:

“The word or meaning behind the word should be evident in the story. Differing versions of a word prompt can be used, this includes changing for tense, adjective, nouns, verbs, etc. The definition of the word MUST remain the same. – Example: extravagance and extravagant”

But what does this mean?

Word prompts can be difficult to score full marks with, as there is a fine line between using a word well, and using a word to fulfil the prompt. Simply including the word will certainly get you one point, but it may not be enough to gain you full marks. Also, repeating the word can cause more problems in your flow section, so this isn’t always the best tactic either.

As with any prompt, a word prompt needs to be significant to the plot. This can make effectively using a word prompt challenging, as we need to balance making it significant while not over-using the word.

To help with this, let’s look at some examples:

1. Extravagance:
   1. I could use the word once or twice, in reference to how someone lives. This would be the only way I use the word, and I never show the word or its meaning in other ways. Or,
   2. I could use a ball scene to show how the family lives – crystal chandeliers, glamorous furnishings, and an excess of decor, food and wine. During the party, I could have some other characters discuss the extravagance of this family – this could be scathing or admiring, depending on the storyline. The word is used, but also shown throughout the story.
2. Replacement:
   1. As with extravagance, I could use the word “replacement” once or twice in my story. This might be in reference to replacing an object, or perhaps a Professor is unwell and need replacing for a day or two. Or,
   2. I could write a story about someone who is feeling replaced by their best friend. Perhaps the best friend has made a new friend playing Quidditch, or has a new significant other. The story would mention the word “replacement,” but also focus on the feelings of replacement felt by my main character.

When using a word prompt, it can be helpful to ask yourself “Can I use this word in a way that will further my story?” If the answer is “no”, or even “maybe,” you may be better using a different prompt. However if the answer is “yes,” you can get writing!

Writing School

Time for some more of Headmistress Lun’s creative writing tips (with the support of Admin TQA)! This round we are looking at variations of punctuation techniques. You all know commas, full stops, questions marks and exclamation points. But do you know the different dashes and how to use a semicolon correctly? 

This will also be the technique judged in this round’s Writing School.

En-Dashes, Em-Dashes, and Hyphens

There are three types of dashes used in writing.

1. The hyphen (-): Hyphens are the shorter lines that are meant to be used to connect two or more words that function together or have a combined meaning. They are often mistakenly used as em-dashes. In most writing styles, this is actually incorrect.

Examples: ‘long-term’, ‘custom-built’, ‘mother-in-law.‘

WRONG: “Everything was going her way – or so she thought.” 

1. The en-dash (–): For the en-dash there is really only one use: to connect distance and ranges. En-dashes are used to connect things such as time/ dates/page numbers.

Examples: ‘The Second Wizarding War was from 1995–1998.‘, ‘I’d like to write several stories from January–September.’, ‘Read pages 394–456.‘

1. The em-dash (—): The em-dash has several uses. The main use is to break up a sentence (sometimes replacing the semi-colon ‘;’, colon ‘:’, comma ‘,’ and parentheses ‘()’) to make it more readable.

Examples:

1. In place of commas:
   “And yet, when the broom was finally delivered[,]—nearly three months after it was ordered[,]—Ginny decided she no longer wanted it.“
2. In place of parentheses:
   “Upon discovering the errors—[(]all 124 of them[)]—the Flourish and Blotts  immediately recalled the books.“
3. In place of colons:
   “The laughter, the magic, the freedom from parents[:]—this is what brought students to Hogwarts.”

Interrupting and omitting letters

Em-dashes are also useful for omitting letters and indicating interruptions of sentences (including thought and dialogue).

1. Omitting letters: “The parchment was wet, but we could make out the following: ‘M——t me a— ——nto—— Is———d.’
2. Interrupting sentences: “Fred, George, what do you think you’re do—”
3. Setting off an action beat between two parts of the same sentence: “Look over there”—she pointed to the corner—”by the bookshelves.”

Consistency 

The most important thing is consistency. In most styles of writing, there is no space between the em-dash and the words it connects (which is preferred). However, in the AP style of writing (often used in newspapers), there is a space.

Example: “Most newspapers — and all that follow AP style — insert a space before and after the em dash.”

Be consistent with your spaces, or you will get marked down for inconsistency.

Similarly, please don’t put a space before an em-dash and then not after it, or not before one but after.

WRONG: “He was a little bit frightened— and amused— at Filch’s expression”, or “He was a little bit frightened —and amused —at Filch’s expression”.

As mentioned before, many people tend to replace the em-dash with a hyphen. It can be a substitute (especially in cases of computers or website that do not support the use of em-dashes for whatever reason), but only if people put spaces in between.

Example: You can use hyphens to write, “He was a little bit frightened – and amused – at Filch’s expression” but never “He was a little bit frightened-and amused-at Filch’s expression.” There is no such word as ‘frightened-and’ or ‘amused-at.’

Our judges will not deduct when hyphens are used in place of en- or em-dashes, but be consistent and mind the spaces!

Figuring out Muggle technology

All of this information is no use at all if you do not actually know how to create an em-dash, en-dash and hyphen on your computer. It is different for MacBooks than for other computers. You may need to check on the internet, and if you find a different solution, please feel free to let us and the readers know.

In general, this is the way to go:

1. en-dash (–): alt + “-”
2. em-dash (—): alt + shift + “-”

DRABBLE:

For this round’s drabble, we want you to use punctuation like a real pro. Try to use the dashes and semicolons to pace your writing, but don’t overdo it! Important here is the balance and using punctuation correctly! Does it improve your flow? Does it add to the rhythm of your writing?

Your story will be rated on how well you fit semicolons and dashes into your story and if everything is implemented correctly. Use at least three of the four presented punctuation characters.

Your prompts this round will be focusing on the permanent non-human residents of Hogwarts and their habitats:

1. (character) Dobby
2. (character) Peeves
3. (character) Sir Nicholas
4. (setting) the lake
5. (setting) the forest

REMINDER: This season, we want you to submit your Writing School drabbles without getting a beta. There is no penalty if you do so anyways as we can’t control it, but this is meant as a training for you to rely less on others when writing.Closing date: 8am UTC 25th April 2020

INTERVIEW

Hey everyone, it’s Hope again! During our break, the lovely Headmistress Lun and I came across each other while going about our business, and she decided to give us some insight into the running of the comp!

Hope: First question: Tell us about yourself: who are you, how and when did you start writing, and how did you get into writing fanfiction and writing for comps?

Lun: I’m Lun, I’m from Germany and proud Headmistress of Mahoutokoro. 

I think I have done some writing since I was a teenager. I even started a book when I was around fifteen or sixteen. It’s full of cliches. Although, I read it again a while ago and was surprised that it wasn’t as bad as I expected! 

I got into fanfiction when I stumbled over a Dramione story somewhere, and then it was down the rabbit hole for me. I started writing my first fanfic at the end of 2017. That was when I really became part of the fanfiction community. I started writing tons of reviews as I learned to appreciate the work others put in, and I got some reviews too. 

That’s how I met our current Admin, TQA. She later invited me to join her team in another competition and there I met more friends that I’m not leading our own competition with! I gave up writing for competitions myself because I’m not good with the deadlines (I’m stressed by them, but I never missed any). I also want to focus more on writing multi-chaps, but I simply couldn’t leave the community behind.

Hope: So we have a veteran on our hands! How did you become involved in the IWSC team?

Lun: Essentially, Verity asked me to join her new competition as a mod. I had read one of her stories when we were in opposing teams of another comp and we kinda just got into chatting regularly. I heard about her crazy idea of doing her own comp and she told me about her great plans and everything. I thought she was insane, but played along for her sake haha. 

When it got serious, she asked me if I wanted to be one of her headmistresses.

And I said no, lol. I have to admit I still didn’t really believe in it. In my eyes, comps were this big thing that people built over years and years of hard work (they are, but we’ll get to that later). I thought: I just entered this community, how could I be a mod for a comp already? I don’t know anything. I didn’t even know what prompts were when I started that first competition as a writer!

I told Verity, ‘I won’t be a headmistress, but you can ask me to do anything. I’ll happily assist from the sidelines.’ I was pumped for her; her enthusiasm was hard to resist. I did all kinds of artwork and gave input wherever I could. At this point, the competition hadn’t even started recruiting! 

If I remember correctly, one of the headmistresses who had already been chosen for Mahoutokoro then dropped out and Verity was desperate to fill the spot. Everything had been planned, the comp was ready to finally start! I couldn’t say no. 

I haven’t regretted it since.

Hope: And then you and former Headmistress Carol asked several people we had a chat with, bringing me and TQA! What do you enjoy most about being a Headmistress of IWSC?

Lun: I really, really like the close contact to the teams. I know nearly every student personally from the chats and the challenges, etc. You don’t have such a tightly knit community anywhere else and it’s my biggest argument against growing the comp to have more schools. I also enjoy working with our judges; they are amazing — real worker bees. 

I also got a little addicted to the stress and drama haha. I remember when I was on a trip to Finland in January things got a little troublesome at the comp. We were messaging back and forth all the time. I was in constant contact with Verity and the others despite saying that I was on holiday and wouldn’t be online as much as usual. At one point, when I started ranting to Verity in a voice message, other tourists around me already turning their heads and staring, I kinda stopped and said, ‘I really missed this. It’s great to finally start the second season because my life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without all the drama we have!’ 

But that’s just my guilty pleasure haha.

Hope: That’s wonderful to hear, lol. Sounds like you have a pretty positive experience here overall. What is the number one challenge of being in charge?

Lun: Making decisions and keeping every perspective in mind is really difficult. I’m sometimes in a tunnel and only see what I would like in a situation. The others are a good balance to point out things I wouldn’t have on my radar. 

Keeping up is sometimes hard, especially when I have less time. I’m on five different servers just for the comp, that’s my school chat and honeydukes, our heads chat, one chat for deputies, and the judges chat. There is a TON of messages every day. And I have big, big FOMO. I have to read everything haha. Sometimes I just ask Verity to summarise what I missed, but I try to be on top of things at all times. 

I think in the beginning I also struggled with some things such as connecting to students a bit. I’m a very efficient person and it never came to mind to chat with my students about their daily life as well. I was so focused on the comp that I forgot that they are more than just writers. I took a page from Verity’s book, and tried to get to know my students better as people. It helped me a lot to have a better understanding of their needs and expectations for the comp and me as their head. And of course, I just love to chat with them about all kinds of silly things 🙂

Hope: Keeping things in perspective is tough! It takes a lot of practice 🙂 And getting to know the newbies does take some time, but when you do it’s so worth it. How do you deal with a complaint from a participant?

Lun: That really depends on the type of complaint.

When it comes from one of my own team members, I chat with them to get to the bottom of things. I read their story and feedback, for example, or if it’s about something else, I try to see their perspective and understand what is going on.

Once I have a clear picture and know that I can’t solve the problem on my own, I take it to the Heads chat. We discuss the situation, look at different sides, and keep in close contact with the student to see how the situation develops. 

We try to make fair decisions for everyone based on the structures and rules we have built. Sometimes, we need to make new rules when we stumble over a new problem. Sometimes, we need to make hard decisions. We try to keep everyone’s needs in mind. Some students have different needs than others and it’s important for us to consider them.

Hope: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about the behind the scenes of IWSC?

Lun: We’re already planning the third season! That means it will happen and that also means there will be changes 🙂 We keep all your feedback in mind and take note constantly. We are still perfecting the comp, so prepare for an even better version next season!

Hope: Yes, lots of exciting things planned for next year, so everyone will have to return to see what those are! Thank you, Lun, for the interview!

The Great Book Review

These judges picks were the best of the best, according to our judges! That means that each and every one of them is worth a read. Each story was awarded 3 extra points for their judges pick, except for the overall judges pick, which will get 5 points!

Ilvermorny: Enough  by Mournful Severity – OVERALL JP

This story really gripped my heart. The story opens after a tragic event and as the characters are trying to deal with the fallout. Sirius and Marlene is such a popular pairing, but I read them here as I never have before. Watching them, as parents, cope with tragedy and how this was captured by Mournful Severity, was practically perfect.

The imagery used really put me into Marlene’s place and feel how she felt. As she lay in St Mungo’s barely able to comprehend the reality that she would be living in, I found myself seeing her perspective. The ending for me was bitter sweet. The story closes with a faint flicker of hope. As a reader, I have no idea if this delicate ray of hope will be extinguished or not, and it makes me want more.

Well written and emotionally impactful, this is JP that is well deserved.

– by Headmistress Verity

Hogwarts: Letters, Love, and Envy by Always A Dragon

        Always A Dragon’s story, as usual, astonishes with its insight into characters, as evidenced with Sirius this round. While I always saw him as someone who couldn’t care less what others thought of him, this puts him into the context that, yes, he does care (at least as much as keeping his home life as civil as he can). This leads him to anger and envy that others can do as they please, while he is restricted, a thought I never had but makes absolute sense.

        My favorite part of this story is the relationship developed between Sirius and Marlene. McKinnon. They’re personally a favorite pairing of mine, but I dislike oftentimes how they make Marlene someone Sirius is slightly afraid of. That isn’t true here. They’re friends, maybe something romantic can develop in the future, and they are mental and magical equals. That makes them understand each other, and enables Marlene to empathize with him and tell him that he can avoid his family’s expectations.

I completely recommend Letters, Love, and Envy, so go ahead and read!

– by Headmistress Hope

Beauxbatons: Pruning the Family Tree by AshenMoon42

This story delves into the psyche of Walburga Black, infamous mother of Sirius Black. It shows her moo as a conflicted Black matriarch, torn between her love for her children and the role she has to present for the sake of her family. Ashen Moon managed to give this rather flat character life and show her softer sides as well as her pain without falling out of the canon character.

This story works wonderfully without the distorted perspective of Sirius, who would usually be the main character in this scenario. Consequently, this story offers a new perspective on an underappreciated character.

– by Headmistress Lun

Mahoutokoro: Silvery Revenge by Socrates

    Socrates7727’s story Silvery Revenge is insanely touching and amazingly well characterized. Many people avoid writing Harry, so it’s nice to see him portrayed so well in this story. I also love how Draco is done. These two characters who have been at each other’s throats for a long time until recently are finally admitting their feelings, and I finally found some appreciation for Drarry stories because of it.

    One part of the story that I really enjoy is the character’s understanding for their former trauma and pain. They have both been through so much in their lives, and very few people would be able to understand. Trauma often brings people together, which is exactly what happened here. I enjoy that they are both allowed to be vulnerable. Oftentimes men are required to remain strong and not show emotion in any way. It’s nice to see this being challenged in such a thoughtful way.

    I completely recommend this story for any fans of Drarry, and fans of angst and minor romance. Get reading!

– by Headmistress Hope

Durmstrang: A Rainbow of Emotions by KeepSmiling1

This story is heart-breakingly beautiful. In a world where the Potters live, Lily is a child psychologist tasked with helping a little girl who witnessed her parents’ murders. Miakoda brought all the heart and passion we expect from what we know of Lily, and created a believable AU life for her.

Little Avey is also masterfully written. Trauma is not easy to write, however Miakoda makes it look like a walk in the park. Combining clever writing with a hidden magical gift, Miakoda makes the reader fall in love with Avey instantly, and I found myself rooting for the eventual outcome right from the beginning.

I would recommend this story to everyone, but especially lovers of Lily, and those who like a heartwarming ending.

– by Admin Georgie

Dear Aunt Molly, Rita Skeeter

Welcome to Dear Aunt Molly. Since Molly is still unable to come into the office, I, Rita Skeeter, famed journalist and best selling author, have been forced to degrade myself to answering the petty problems of witless writers who wished they were as good as I. 

Hi, 

I love reading fanfic but I always end up reading the same type of stuff. Do you have any suggestions on how to break out of that cycle?

Love, Repeated Reader. 

Dear Repeated Reader, 

I highly suggest some of my own works. They can all be found at Flourish and Blotts, however, due to the tabloid being associated with the International Wizarding School Championship, I am forced to recommend back issues of Madam Pinces Lair! There is also a library from the previous season where students have compiled all their favourite works.

But seriously, Snape: Sinner or Saint, it’s a real page turner!

—Best Selling Author of ‘The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore’

---

Dear Aunt Molly, 

Have you ever had trouble writing a story and staying in one tense? This is one of my main problems in writing. I plan my story to be present tense and halfway through I end up in past tense or vise versa. Do you have any helpful tips about sticking one tense or another?

Sincerely, Past and Present Tense 

---

Dear Past and Present Tense, 

This is a common problem for those that are not as skilled as I. I don’t recall ever having this technical issue myself, or any other technical issue for that matter. 

In my expert opinion — and I am the single best journalist in the wizarding world — you should always double check dialogue and inner thoughts. Also, watch your verb usage, particularly: would vs will; had vs has; lay vs lie. 

I’ve heard that this paper had articles to help with technical aspects of writing. I’m not sure how reliable they are; I didn’t write them! It is worth having a look through the archives though.

Rita Skeeter – Prestigious Reporter for the Daily Prophet

---

Dear Aunt Molly,

What is the funniest story you have ever read on this site and has not referenced something akin to romance? I am not quite like myself and I need something funny without relationships being involved.

Dear __

I like to read hard-hitting journalism myself, but there is a little magazine that is famed for its rather ridiculous content: The Quibbler. If you are looking for fiction, the following stories have been nominated for the prestegious ‘Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes Award’: ‘Sirius’ Trouble’ and ‘And I Would Drive Five Hundred Miles’

Rita Skeeter – Exclusive Interviewer of The Chosen One

---

Dear Aunt Molly,

I’m not sure what to do. A while ago I met a Gryffindor student who’s a year above me. I really like him, but I don’t think I’m more than a friend to him. 

I think about him every day, but I don’t want my feelings to ruin our friendship. I also have the feeling that he fancies my best friend.

What should I do?

– Luna Lovegood

Dear Ms. Lovegood,

I would love to get an up close and personal interview with you on this very matter! I can’t imagine the story behind this juicey little tit-bit! Clearly Harry Potter is The Boy Who Loved Too Many Women. Did he lead you on? Was it that nasty Miss Granger? Did she steal him with her extra strength love potions? What is Harry Potter like as a lover? Has you relationship gone that far! 

Seriously, Owl me! 

Rita Skeeter – Always looking for the scoop

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Character Profiles – Garrick Ollivander

There are many well known wandmakers in the world — Mykew Gregorovitch, Violetta Beauvais — but none are as famed and revered as Garrick Ollivander, owner of Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley. With almost two thousand years reputation, the shop has rightfully earned its place in history. How did Ollivander handle the extraordinary pressure of such notoriety? Let’s find out.

Born at the start of the 20th century, Ollivander seemed to be destined for wandmaking. His family had a history of working in the fine craft, and even their surname can be translated from a Mediterranean language into “he who owns the olive wand”. 

Aside from his birth, little is known about Ollivander’s younger days except that, while attending Hogwarts, he was sorted into Ravenclaw house. This is exemplified in his revolutionary way of wandmaking. Prior to him taking over the shop, many wands in Britain, like the rest of the world, were made using a variety of cores. Often, the substance used was of particular significance to the user. Ollivander rejected this idea, finding that many wands made in this way ended up being temperamental and oftentimes unstable. He chose to stick to three cores that had proven to make excellent and much more stable wands: dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and phoenix feather.

Over the years, Ollivander remembered all of the wands he sold, again showing his Ravenclaw traits. He often made a habit of mentioning the wands of people close to new witches and wizards. After he sold a wand to Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort), he would mention it to Harry Potter when he would buy his own wand many years later. 

Upon meeting Harry Potter, Ollivander mentioned to the young boy that both his and Voldemort’s wands shared twin cores,  seeming to be both terrified and intrigued by the power that Voldemort possessed. This caused Harry to be unsure whether he liked Ollivander or not, despite his kindly demeanor. This incident also exhibits a possible love he has of challenges, whereby he appeared to grow even more excited the more difficult Harry proved to pair with a wand.

We don’t hear anything else about Ollivander until 1994, when he would facilitate The Weighing of the Wands ceremony for the Triwizard Tournament. After ensuring that Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric’s wands were in working order, he did the same for Harry, who hoped he would keep the twin core with Voldemort to himself.

During the next couple of years, Ollivander continued making and selling his wands. If he had an opinion on the stories printed by the Daily Prophet from mid 1995 to mid 1996, it is not known. The next we hear anything from him, he has been captured by the Death Eaters to answer questions about the twin core connection and the Elder Wand for Voldemort. This comes from Neville Longbottom, who thinks that he might own the last Ollivander wand ever sold, as he disappeared the next day.

Ollivander was a captive of the Death Eaters for almost two years, during which time he was frequently tortured, and forced to make wands for Death Eaters who had lost their wands. While imprisoned, he developed a friendship with fellow captive Luna Lovegood, who lifted his spirits somewhat despite their dismal circumstances.

Finally, they were sprung from captivity by Dobby the house elf, on the orders of Harry Potter. He spent a short time recovering at the house of Bill and Fleur Weasley, before going into more permanent hiding at their Aunt Muriel’s house along with the rest of the Weasleys, Luna, and Dean Thomas.

Before he left, Harry Potter questioned him about the Deathly Hallows and wands in general. Again he displays an allure to power, which reminds Harry of their first meeting. After beating around the bush in order to avoid the truth, he finally tells Harry about the Elder Wand, who realizes that Voldemort has no idea about the other two Hallows.

After heading to Aunt Muriel’s house, Ollivander waited out the rest of the Second World War there. In the end, it can be assumed that he set about re-establishing his shop, at least for a few more years. It is possible he is still alive today, but this has not been confirmed.

• 

There aren’t any headcanons about Ollivander that I’m aware of, but that’s okay; it’s what makes him such an interesting character to write about. There are many aspects of his life you can explore; perhaps one round, you might shed some light on his school days. Did he have many friends? Maybe he knew Horace Slughorn, as they are of similar ages?

Some things that intrigue me include wondering how he went about his process of wand making? How did he find out that his new method was better than others? How did he come to be so intrigued by power, specifically the power wielded through the wands of powerful wizards (namely Voldemort)?

Go through his life post-captivity. How hard was it for him to return to wand making? Did he ever fully recover his health? Did he even return to his life’s calling?

Thank you everyone for reading, stay safe, and come back next time to learn about Lucius Malfoy, the slimiest Death Eater.

Creative Corner

THROW AWAY THE KEY

Do not pass go, do not collect 200 Galleons…

Hello everyone, we hope you enjoyed your last design challenge—we know we did, seeing all those amazing submissions!

This issue, we’ll be having another similar contest, whereby you’ll be required to use your imagination to design another international building. But this time you will be designing the most incredible and secure wizarding prisons.

We all know about the (almost) inescapable Azkaban and the mighty Nurmengard, but what do other wizarding nations do with their criminals? Do they cast them off to sea? Feed them to Chimeras? Or, more likely, do they lock them up and throw away the key?

Your task will be to design a wizarding prison from a country of your choosing, paying as much attention as possible to all those tiny details. Some questions you may considering answering through your design — which can include pictures if you’d like of your own creation, or credited reference drawings — include:

1. Where is your prison located?
2. When was it established?
3. Who guards the prisoners? Dementors? A large, choppy ocean? Drop bears?
4. How many prisoners does it house?
5. What are the prisoners forced to eat and wear? 
6. Are there any infamous witches or wizards housed within its walls? Does it even have walls? 

Designs will be judged based on the amount of thought clearly put into details.

Everyone will receive 5 points per submission, a maximum of 3 per person. Winners will receive a further a 5 points 

Credit for the original prison design idea goes to Miakoda of Durmstrang and her lovely Potterhead Discord group.

Schools around the world

The last round saw a number of great schools being submitted for the creative corner. There were so many fantastic submissions and all will be highlighted on their own page on the WWN blog. An honourable mention goes out to Paceso and the fantastic and extensive prospectus for her school: ‘Koolawong School of Magic’ in Australia. What was most impressive was the detail and how this tied into the myths and history of the area of the school. This was certainly a top submission, and almost stole the points!

The one that finally got the points was a collaboration between NinjaDevil2000 and LizJeanTonks! These two hooties really paid attention to detail, but it was their ‘Glacial Academy of Magic‘, that really set them apart.

Lednikovaya Akademiya Magii

Antarctica, exact placement not given for the school’s own protection, although it’s rumoured to be hidden in a dense mountain range

Specialised Subjects: Transfiguration

Students are enrolled at the Academy at the age of seven. They are not sorted during their first year.

During their first year of study, they are taught how to become Animagi. The reasoning behind this is simple: the cold. While there are anti-freezing charms and potions that can help with cold, they can only do so much against Arctic temperatures, so the students become Animagi. As animals, the students gain warmth, protection, and other skills one might need for living in the Antarctic climate.

When they return for their second year at the age of eight, having successfully become Animagi, they are then sorted depending on the form their Animagus takes. Students that take the forms of flying creatures are sorted into Air (Vozdukha) Students that take the forms of land creatures are sorted into Snow (Sneg) Students that take the forms of water dwelling creatures are sorted into Water (Voda)

History: The Academy was first created as a refuge for wizards and witches during the 20th century, otherwise known as the Era of Grindelwald, who were tired of living in fear from Muggles. Later, it became a school.

Other interesting facts: Glacial Academy is home to ice foxes, very rare creatures that have magical abilities known only to a select few. Sadly, I happen to not be one of those select few. I have, however, been able to procure a rare image of them which I will include below.

Trivia and Puzzles

Welcome to another edition of tricky Trivia! Its been a little while since the last issue, but we still want to give a shout out to all those that submitted and got the right answers to Headmistress Hopes crazy maze puzzle and Headmistress Claire’s tricky trivia. The students that got the points for trivia in the last issue were:

1. Emmaline Vance from Mahoutokoro!
2. Liz Jean Tonks from Mahoutokoro!
3. AllTheWayToTheGraveyard from Durmstrang!

The Maze was conqured by quite a few students, but the random number generator gets the choose the top three winners, which were:

1. Arasulgil from Beauxbatons
2. QuickSilverFox from Hogwarts
3. ReadBooksWriteThings from Durmstrang!

Clearly, Durmstrang have come to play, they are after a spot in the top 3, so watch out Hoggies, Hooties and Beauxies!! This issue, the trivia has been put together by Headmistress Tiggs!

1. What are the names of Arabella Figgs’ cats?
2. What colour eyes does Mrs Norris have?
3. Which Death Eaters, according to the books, stormed Hogwarts during Harry Potter’s sixth year?
4. In French, because ‘Tom Marvolo Riddle’ does not translate adequately to ‘I am Lord Voldemort,’ another middle name was substituted. What is it, that also happens to be the name of a famous late singer and actor.
5. Who takes Polyjuice Potion and transforms into Harry Potter in the chapter, ‘Battle of the Seven Potters,’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
6. Which notorious thief was banned from the Hog’s Head by Aberforth Dumbledore?
7. Who is Gellert Grindelwald’s great aunt?
8. Which dragon breed did Fleur Delacour battle for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament? 
9. During which century was Azkaban Prison built?
10. Where did Vernon Dursley propose to Petunia Evans?

HAPPEE BIRTHDAE TO YOU

It’s cake time again! Happy birthday to our April babies!

April – You share your birthday with Fred and George Weasley (1st), Horace Slughorn (28th), and Teddy Lupin (date unknown)

Verity (Hogwarts Headmistress) — 10th

Amythesica (Hogwarts) — 21st

AshenMoon (Beauxbatons) — 25th

There’s a Mystery at Hogwarts — It’s Written in the Stars

Warning: this article contains a potential major spoiler/s for anyone who hasn’t yet caught up in the game. The first article is minor, but the secondary major—please scroll at your discretion.

Welcome to another Hogwarts Mystery article, where we give you insights from a player’s perspective. I was very, very tempted to write an article about one of the most tragic events the game has had so far, but unfortunately, it is a major spoiler that will have to wait for a later edition when more people have had the chance to catch up.

I’m sure that the particular character that I will be exploring this issue will have already seen it coming, though. Not sure who I’m talking about? Well, here’s a few hints.

1. His name starts with a T.
2. Like most of his ‘family,’ he has a fiery temper.
3. He’s good with a bow and arrow.
4. He loves astronomy.
5. Umbridge detests him (or perhaps after her little stint in the Forbidden Forest in 1996, has grown more fond of him, if you know what I mean, *wink* *wink*).

Haven’t guessed yet? Here’s the biggest hint of them all: he shares a similar story with another member of his herd: Firenze.

That’s right, Firenze wasn’t the only centaur to be kicked out of his herd for having close contact with filthy humans. 

Torvus is a centaur you meet in your third year, and of course like many wonderful friendships throughout history, it starts with a duel. Whilst wary of you at first (and for good reason, no thanks to your brother, Jacob), Torvus soon reveals that he was kicked out of his herd for bringing a human into their campsite. This human decided to steal a precious arrow—one with a jewel-encrusted arrowhead—that was a family heirloom of Torvus’, simply so that he could open a Cursed Vault. Tsk, tsk. 

Unlike many centaurs, Torvus’ heart continued to remain bigger than his head, and although he lost faith in humanity after Jacob’s betrayal, he didn’t deny a helping hand—or hoof—when needed. When students wandered into the forest after one particular curse, Torvus guided them away from hungry Acromantulas and back to the safety of the edge of the forest. 

Torvus’ closest friend would be one dragon-obsessed Charlie Weasley, and can I just say, their friendship was meant to be. The pair are known to have searched the Forbidden Forest for dragons together. Who else would be willing to do that? Even Hagrid would probably have his reservations (although I wouldn’t rule it out completely—who knows what that beloved half-giant has done?)

Things do improve for Torvus, and whilst it is unknown whether or not Firenze was accepted back into his colony, Torvus is welcomed back upon retrieval of the arrowhead. 

You may be wondering why I have selected to write about a centaur when so many other exciting and new ideas about the magical world have been introduced by the game. Well, the thing is, I believe Torvus is very important simply because he is so different to what we know of other centaurs. Yes, he does have a fiery temper, and yes, he talks in unclear riddles sometimes. He is so much more, though; despite being betrayed, he still helps humans. From the books and movies, we think of centaurs as detesting humankind at worst, and at best, tolerating them. Would Bane have spared a human related to someone who’d stolen from him? Would Magorian have welcomed a traitor into their home?

We can also understand a little more about the culture of centaurs. Like humans, centaurs can have good, close relations with their parents. From Hogwarts Mystery, we learn that Torvus’ father told him many stories, both for knowledge and for entertainment value. For example, it was Torvus’ father who told him about the mysterious Cursed Vaults and how they were created.

Torvus is wise and mysterious, and I hope to see much more of him in both the game AND your own stories. Whether he will be featured more, only time will tell—although with his impressive gift for using the stars to predict the future, I’m sure he already knows whether or not that’s the case.

Mini-game: Someone among us has drawn the above fan art. Guess who? (Sorry, no points available; it’s time to see how well you really know all your teammates, admins, and Headmistresses).

LOOKING FOR LOVE

So, you’ve managed to transfigure this black quill into my article submission—congratulations, you’re more cunning than I thought, and in this world, cunning will get you everywhere.

Yes, it is true, I am looking for an apprentice—sorry, a lover—who can fulfill my needs. Being a curse breaker (among other things…) can be very lonely, and I’d like to train someone up to be my trusted companion.

Requirements:

*Must be a good dueller.

*Must listen to everything I say.

*I prefer passive-aggressive… No weak cowards, but don’t challenge me either.

*I enjoy long walks through secret passageways and cursed vaults, and the occasional torture of someone innocent.

*No Snapes. Period.

*Don’t call me Patty, Pat, Rish, or Toothpick.

*BONUS: If I break your wand, I’ll eventually replace it with something better. 

If interested, please leave this quill somewhere I can see it, but not where nosy children will find it. 

—R… for Rakepick. Not for just R. Patricia Rakepick.

The International WizarDing School ChampiOnship League Table

School	Place	This Round	Story Points	Points	MVP
Beauxbatons	1st Place	328	194.75	1527.5	Paceso
Mahoutokoro	2nd Place	233.25	132.25	1175.75	Socrates
Hogwarts	3rd Place	201.5	169	1122.5	Always a Dragon
Ilvermorny	4th Place	177	142	1007.75	Mournful Severity
Durmstrang	5th Place	189	114	959.75	Keep Smiling